A 1970s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Tally since 1926
Babies named Tally per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1958, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Tally's real moment was 1975.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0 | 23 |
| 1930s | 0 | 15 |
| 1940s | 5 | 17 |
| 1950s | 43 | 17 |
| 1960s | 65 | 16 |
| 1970s | 137 | 49 |
| 1980s | 62 | 0 |
| 1990s | 64 | 0 |
| 2000s | 80 | 0 |
| 2010s | 48 | 0 |
| 2020s | 58 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Tally is a rare modern given name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1947. It reached its peak popularity in 1975, though it has never been common. After a long period of decline, the name has been rising again since 2016, suggesting a small revival. As of 2025, it ranked 7,885 and was given to roughly 1 in 123,636 girls. Tally is often used as a standalone nickname derived from longer names like Talia or Natalia, but it has also become an independent choice for parents seeking a sweet, vintage-sounding name. Its simplicity and nickname-like quality fit with modern naming trends that favor short, approachable names.
Tally is primarily a diminutive of Talia, which itself is a variant of Thalia (from Greek 'thallein', meaning 'to bloom') or a short form of Natalia (from Latin 'natalis', meaning 'birthday'). As an independent name, it emerged in the mid-20th century, possibly influenced by the word 'tally' meaning 'count' or 'record'. Its use as a given name has remained rare but saw a small peak in the 1970s.
“Tally” around the world
Where Tally lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Tally
Names that share Tally's style, for a brother or sister.
